德意志近代史

德語國家在政治和宗教上在近代早期（約1500-1800年）的存在分歧和差異。在中世紀晚期（約1250-1500年），組成神聖羅馬帝國的國家之間的宗教緊張局勢一直存在，尤其體現在波西米亞爆發的胡斯戰爭。然而這一時期決定性的宗教改革運動，導致了該地區前所未有的暴力和政治動盪。

通常認為宗教改革運動始於馬丁·路德1517年在維滕貝格市（當時在薩克森選侯國，現在位於薩克森-安哈爾特境內）發表的九十五條論綱。宗教改革將德國各州劃分為新的宗教界線：北部、東部和許多主要城市（如斯特拉斯堡、法蘭克福和紐倫堡）成為新教地區，而南部和西部地區基本上仍然是天主教徒。為了維護神聖羅馬帝國內部的穩定，1555年德意志諸侯和神聖羅馬帝國皇帝簽訂了奧格斯堡和約。然而這些努力最終會失敗，並最終導致了三十年戰爭（1618-1648年）這場歐洲大陸迄今為止最具破壞性的衝突之一。三十年戰爭以威斯特伐利亞和約的簽訂而告終。

這一時期還見證了普魯士王國的出現和壯大，它成為了前任霸權的哈布斯堡王朝的主要競爭對手。在啟蒙時代之後的歐洲近代早期結束和拿破崙戰爭期間神聖羅馬帝國解體之後，這種奧地利-普魯士的對抗將成為19世紀德國歷史發展的最大驅動力。

延伸閱讀 

 Hughes, Michael.  Early Modern Germany, 1477-1806 (1992) excerpt 
 Robisheaux, Thomas. Rural Society and the Search for Order in Early Modern Germany (2002)
 Sabean, David. Power in the Blood: Popular Culture and Village Discourse in Early Modern Germany (1988)
 Smith, Helmut Walser, ed. The Oxford Handbook of Modern German History (2011), 862 pp; 35 essays by specialists; Germany since 1760 excerpt 
 Strauss, Gerald, ed. Pre-reformation Germany (1972) 452pp
 Wilson, Peter H. The Thirty Years War: Europe's Tragedy (2009)
 Wunder, Heide. He Is the Sun, She Is the Moon: Women in Early Modern Germany (1998)

宗教 

 Bainton, Roland H. Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (1978) excerpt and text search
 Dickens, A. G. Martin Luther and the Reformation (1969), basic introduction by leading scholar
 Gawthrop, Richard, and Gerald Strauss. "Protestantism and literacy in early modern Germany," Past & Present, 1984 #104 pp 31–55 online
 . Martin Luther: Exploring His Life and Times, 1483–1546. (book plus CD ROM) (1998)
 Karant-Nunn, Susan C. The Reformation of Feeling: Shaping the Religious Emotions in Early Modern Germany (2012)
 Midelfort, H. C. Erik. Witchcraft, Madness, Society, and Religion in Early Modern Germany: A Ship of Fools (2013)
 Ranke, Leopold von. History of the Reformation in Germany (1847)  792 pp; by Germany's foremost scholar complete text online free 
 Smith, Preserved. The Life and Letters of Martin Luther. (1911) complete edition online free

歷史 

 Brady, Thomas A. "From Revolution to the Long Reformation: Writings in English on the German Reformation, 1970-2005," Archiv für Reformationsgeschichte, 2009, Vol. 100, pp 48–64, in English
 von Friedeburg, Robert. "Dickens, the German Reformation, and the issue of nation and fatherland in early modern German history," Historical Research, Feb 2004, Vol. 77 Issue 195, p79-97
 Wilson, Peter H. "Historiographical Reviews: Still a Monstrosity? Some Reflections on Early Modern German Statehood," Historical Journal, June 2006, Vol. 49#2 pp 565–576 

德國歷史